The African Union Election Observer Mission (AUEOM) in Sudan has released a preliminary report on Sudan's general elections which took place this week.

Twenty observers led by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo deployed to monitor the elections.

The observers noted that turnout was low, which they said was the cause for an unscheduled fourth day of voting yesterday.

"The extension [of voting for an extra day] for the whole country was to allow more voters to cast their ballots," the observers said.

"It is not unlikely that the boycott has had some effect on the turnout of voters," the mission added, referring to non-participation in the election by mainstream opposition parties.

Before deploying the monitors, AU compiled a report saying that restrictions on freedoms in Sudan were not necessarily conducive to a free and fair vote.

After watching the elections, the monitors said the vote would have been more credible had there been more liberties in Sudan.

Lack of freedoms "no doubt constrained and restrained participation in the electoral process," the AU mission said. "Removal of such constraints would no doubt [have] enhanced the level of freedom and fairness of the elections."

Still, the mission pointed out that they observed a generally smooth voting process with low levels of violence, meaning that those people who did choose to vote were able to do so adequately.

"Everything taken together, the AUEOM reached the conclusion that the results of the election would reflect the expression of the will of the voters of Sudan," the AU said.